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Michael C. Hall’s Very First Dexter Morgan Scene In OG Pilot Just Got A Twisted Dark Remake 19 Year Later

July 23, 2025

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dexter: Resurrection season 1, episode 3.Dexter Morgan’s (Michael C. Hall) first kill in Dexter: Resurrection perfectly called back to his first scene ever in the original Dexter. Michael C. Hall has been playing Dexter for almost 19 years now, and the character has evolved with him across four different Dexter shows. Likewise, Dexter: Resurrection is billed as a rebirth for the character, but it also feels like an evolution of the original show.

Dexter: Resurrection episode 3 included what was basically a remake of the first few minutes of the original Dexter pilot. It didn’t include Dexter’s famous “tonight’s the night” monologue, but it did hit most of the pilot’s main beats almost 19 years after the fact. It actually also highlighted just how much Dexter has grown in the past two decades.

Dexter Trapping The Dark Passenger In Resurrection Puts A Twist On His Very First Scene From The Original Show

Dexter Choked His First Victim From The Backseat Of A Car & The Roles Were Reversed In Resurrection

In the first few minutes of Dexter‘s pilot episode, Dexter hunts Mike Donovan, a pedophile and serial killer. He hides in the back of Donovan’s car and, when he enters, Dexter chokes him with a garrote and forces him to drive to the kill room he’s set up. The exact same situation happened in Resurrection, only Dexter was on the receiving end of Red’s gigli saw.

There was another big twist with Resurrection‘s version of abducting a driver: Dexter actually escaped. Using a piece of metal he got from Blessing, Dexter was able to stop the Dark Passenger from choking him and sawing his head off, unlike Mike Donovan in Dexter. In that way, Resurrection was actually a complete reversal of Dexter‘s opening scene, as the driver ended up being the killer.

Resurrection Remaking The Pilot’s Opening Scene Highlights How Much Dexter Morgan Has Changed

Dexter Is So Much Smarter & More Daring Now Than He Was At The Start Of The Original Show

The ways that Resurrection episode 3 are similar to Dexter‘s pilot – and the ways it completely reversed the pilot – highlight just how much Dexter has grown over the years. The clearest example of how Dexter has evolved as a killer is in the sheer boldness of his plan. Dexter used himself as bait and let himself be attacked from behind just to get a chance at the Dark Passenger.

Dexter (Michael C. Hall) standing in front of a poster of the Dark Defender comic in Dexter season 2, episode 5

Dexter Morgan’s Unexpected Dark Passenger Problem Is Forgetting His Real Alias From Nearly 20 Years Ago

Dexter has a new problem with the Dark Passenger in Resurrection, but the new sequel series forgot about Dexter’s nearly 20-year-old alter ego.

The Dark Passenger was already a reflection of Dexter because of his name, but the fact that he used the same technique as Dexter really solidified it. Resurrection episode 3 almost feels like an instance of Dexter literally outsmarting his past self. Dexter‘s pilot showed us that Dexter can attack an unsuspecting victim, but Resurrection shows he’s a master of hunting killers.

The Dexter we’re seeing in Dexter: Resurrection feels like the final form of the Bay Harbor Butcher.

On top of showing that his methods have evolved to target specifically serial killers, Dexter’s choice of using metal in a turtleneck shows that he’s so much smarter than he was in the original series. He can plan out every aspect of a kill, and there are no more sloppy mistakes like leaving a blood slide behind. He can even adapt to the things he can’t predict, like dropping the syringe.

Dexter: Resurrection Release Schedule
Episode Title	Release Date
A Beating Heart	July 11
Camera Shy	July 11
Backseat Driver	July 18
Call Me Red	July 25
Murder Horny	August 1
Cats and Mouse	August 8
Course Correction	August 15
The Kill Room Where it Happens	August 22
Touched by an Angel	August 29
And Justice for All	September 5

It’s also remarkable how Dexter has changed with age. Resurrection has taken a few chances to show that Dexter isn’t as physically fit as he once was, especially after being shot at the end of New Blood. Dexter’s age translates directly into his actions: he’s not relying on brute strength anymore, he’s outwitting his victims. The Dexter we’re seeing in Dexter: Resurrection feels like the final form of the Bay Harbor Butcher.